Mod Release Keep track of time without a clock

[DeathDaisy]

In my latest game Ive for some reason been unable to find a clock for the longest time, and I thought it'd be nifty to still have some kind of idea what time of day it was, so I did this quick little thing!

if (sti(mchr.HasClock)) sDateTimeDisplay += " " + GetStringTime(stf(mchr.CurrentTime));
        // DeathDaisy: approximate time of day when not having a clock
        else{
            string TimeOfDay;
            if(GetTime() >= 23 || GetTime() < 1) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Midnight");
            if(GetTime() >= 1 && GetTime() < 3) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Night");
            if(GetTime() >= 3 && GetTime() < 6) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Late Night");
            if(GetTime() >= 6 && GetTime() < 7) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Early Morning");
            if(GetTime() >= 7 && GetTime() < 9) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Morning");
            if(GetTime() >= 9 && GetTime() < 11) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Forenoon");
            if(GetTime() >= 11 && GetTime() < 13) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Noon");
            if(GetTime() >= 13 && GetTime() < 15) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Early Afternoon");
            if(GetTime() >= 15 && GetTime() < 18) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Afternoon");
            if(GetTime() >= 18 && GetTime() < 20) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Evening");
            if(GetTime() >= 20 && GetTime() < 22) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Late Evening");
            if(GetTime() >= 22 && GetTime() < 23) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Early Night");
            sDateTimeDisplay += ", " + FirstLetterUp(TimeOfDay);
        }

the times are defined in LogInterface in PROGRAM\BATTLE_INTERFACE with a lot of ifs and I added the texts to common.ini too if there's interest


EDIT: I had missed an hour between 7 and 8, which caused an infinite error and really choked the game. updated the loginterface.c!

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

I love this! You've fixed one of my biggest frustrations with the early phases of a new game. Thank you!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Cool! I like it, @DeathDaisy.

In my latest game Ive for some reason been unable to find a clock for the longest time

Is your character level by any chance already really high?
The "item code" isn't particularly great and, to avoid having too many low-level items, it starts dropping them in favour of high-level ones later on.
This means if you don't buy the low-level stuff you need when it is still around, it could be that you lose your chance.
Stupid, I know!

We had this problem for the pickaxes and shovels needed in Treasure Quests.
I ended up writing some specific code to ensure that if you don't have one and do need one, it'll always be available for purchase.
But that's really a silly hack.

 

[Grey Roger]

Possibly a little too precise? If you have no clock at all, maybe just give the same general time of day as is already produced by the function 'GetDayTime()':

string GetDayTime()
{
   if(GetTime()<6.0) return DAY_TIME_NIGHT;
   if(GetTime()<10.0) return DAY_TIME_MORNING;
   if(GetTime()<18.0) return DAY_TIME_DAY;
   if(GetTime()<22.0) return DAY_TIME_EVENING;
   return DAY_TIME_NIGHT;
}

Or, if you're really having trouble getting even a simple clock, perhaps provide time to that level of accuracy if you have an enhanced compass. Here's why:
The real Enhanced Compass

 

[DeathDaisy]

Is your character level by any chance already really high?

not crazy high, like 7 or something as I started as a smuggler. I think the problem has been that I've been stuck on Martinique for several days because of a storm, and the stores didn't stock a clock when I started and hasnt refreshed yet

Possibly a little too precise? If you have no clock at all, maybe just give the same general time of day as is already produced by the function 'GetDayTime()':

string GetDayTime()
{
   if(GetTime()<6.0) return DAY_TIME_NIGHT;
   if(GetTime()<10.0) return DAY_TIME_MORNING;
   if(GetTime()<18.0) return DAY_TIME_DAY;
   if(GetTime()<22.0) return DAY_TIME_EVENING;
   return DAY_TIME_NIGHT;
}

Or, if you're really having trouble getting even a simple clock, perhaps provide time to that level of accuracy if you have an enhanced compass. Here's why:
The real Enhanced Compass

I did that first, but I felt it wasnt as useful as Id like it to be. I figured that I can tell in real life approximately what time it is within a few hours, so it wouldnt be crazy if your character knew too. I dont think it unbalances the game as you'll most often get a clock as soon as you can anyway, but idk. Im not opposed to removing a few of them if you feel its too much

 

[Pieter Boelen]

not crazy high, like 7 or something as I started as a smuggler. I think the problem has been that I've been stuck on Martinique for several days because of a storm, and the stores didn't stock a clock when I started and hasnt refreshed yet

Ah, maybe another day or another island will help then.

 

[Grey Roger]

I wonder if there's another solution? Female NPC's usually carry jewellery. Not that I routinely rob them, but if one of them puts her hand in my pocket, I return the compliment. Male NPC's don't tend to carry anything much of interest. Perhaps arrange for them to be able to carry clocks? So, if you can't get one from the shop, perhaps you can get one from someone's pocket.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Clocks? Meh. There is a corpse in Tortuga that has a clock.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Clocks? Meh. There is a corpse in Tortuga that has a clock.

Ah, the one @Jack Rackham added? Completely forgot about that!

 

[Grey Roger]

Another thought. Some starting character types get a clock by default - one reason why, when I'm starting a FreePlay game to test out a ship, I almost always take a corsair, is because corsairs get a compass and clock right away. If there's one character type who really needs a clock, it's the smuggler. So if he doesn't get a clock as starting equipment, perhaps he should.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Clocks? Meh. There is a corpse in Tortuga that has a clock.

Out of curiosity, I went looking for him since I'm at Tortuga anyway. No chronometer to be found. Looks like he forgot his donkey, too.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

IIRC he was a well dressed corpse not far from the tavern.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

IIRC he was a well dressed corpse not far from the tavern.

That's the one. What a terrible horologist. No chronometer, and no donkey. I think he was a fraud.

 

[DeathDaisy]

I had missed to include an hour between 7 and 8, which caused an infinite error and really choked the game I've uploaded a new LogInterface.c to the main post!

 

[Grey Roger]

It still has twelve intervals, and some of them are only 1 hour long. In reality, if you didn't have any sort of clock at all, I doubt you'd be able to guess the time that accurately. Any chance of reducing it to, say, six intervals?

 

[DeathDaisy]

It still has twelve intervals, and some of them are only 1 hour long. In reality, if you didn't have any sort of clock at all, I doubt you'd be able to guess the time that accurately. Any chance of reducing it to, say, six intervals?

Sure, how about these? I realise there are 8, 2 of which are still just 1 hour! but I think dawn and dusk aren't unreasonable, sunset and sunrise are obvious enough after all, and give a lot of mood and I feel the rest are general enough that most people would be able to tell. but I'm not impossible, I'll concede to removing dusk and dawn if its still too much

else{
            string TimeOfDay;
            if(GetTime() >= 22 || GetTime() < 3) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Night");
            if(GetTime() >= 3 && GetTime() < 6) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Small Hours");
            if(GetTime() >= 6 && GetTime() < 7) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Dawn");
            if(GetTime() >= 7 && GetTime() < 10) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Morning");
            if(GetTime() >= 10 && GetTime() < 14) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Midday");
            if(GetTime() >= 14 && GetTime() < 18) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Afternoon");
            if(GetTime() >= 18 && GetTime() < 21) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Evening");
            if(GetTime() >= 21 && GetTime() < 22) TimeOfDay = XI_ConvertString("Dusk");
            sDateTimeDisplay += ", " + FirstLetterUp(TimeOfDay);
        }

I hope dusk actually is between 21 and 22 tho, forgot to check!

 

[Grey Roger]

Night starts at 22:00, so yes, dusk would be 21:00 to 21:59. That does look a lot better.

 

[DeathDaisy]

another hiccup! I was apparently using an older common.ini, so it missed some new additions like "boy"/"girl" etc. fixed now!

 

[Grey Roger]

Not to worry. I WinMerged it with my own version anyway. That has a couple of other new entries which I needed for my update of "Tales of a Sea Hawk".

 

[DeathDaisy]

dusk failed to show up, turns out I accidentally wrote Evening two times instead of Dusk in the ini